Key Takeaway
Australia now has two credit bureaus — Equifax (0–1,200 scale, used by ANZ, CBA, NAB and Westpac for home loans) and Experian (0–1,200 scale, used by fintechs, ING, Macquarie and most BNPL providers). illion is no longer a separate bureau: Experian completed its acquisition of illion on 30 September 2024, and from 1 April 2026 the two operate as a single Experian credit reporting body. Your Experian report now includes the information previously held by illion. You have a separate file at Equifax and at Experian, so your two scores will almost always differ — sometimes by hundreds of points. Which one matters most depends on what you're applying for: - Home loan at a major bank? Equifax matters most. - Personal loan, car loan or BNPL? Experian. - Phone or utility account? Experian, which now holds the telco and utility data that used to sit on illion. - Any major finance application? Both matter — because a default on one can block approval at any lender who checks that bureau. Free assessment across both bureaus: [australiancreditsolutions.com.au/free-credit-assessment](https://www.australiancreditsolutions.com.au/free-credit-assessment) · Call 0480 031 704.
Quick Answer: Australia now has two credit bureaus — Equifax (0–1,200 scale, used by ANZ, CBA, NAB and Westpac for home loans) and Experian (0–1,200 scale, used by fintechs, ING, Macquarie and most BNPL providers). illion is no longer a separate bureau: Experian completed its acquisition of illion on 30 September 2024, and from 1 April 2026 the two operate as a single Experian credit reporting body. Your Experian report now includes the information previously held by illion. You have a separate file at Equifax and at Experian, so your two scores will almost always differ — sometimes by hundreds of points.
Which one matters most depends on what you're applying for:
- Home loan at a major bank? Equifax matters most.
- Personal loan, car loan or BNPL? Experian.
- Phone or utility account? Experian, which now holds the telco and utility data that used to sit on illion.
- Any major finance application? Both matter — because a default on one can block approval at any lender who checks that bureau.
Free assessment across both bureaus: australiancreditsolutions.com.au/free-credit-assessment · Call 0480 031 704.
Most Australians think they have one credit score. They have two — one at Equifax and one at Experian (there were three until illion merged into Experian). And those numbers can tell completely different stories about you — sometimes one bureau shows "Excellent" while another shows a much lower band. Both can be true at the same time.
If you've ever been declined for a loan while a free credit-monitoring app said your score was great — this is why. The app showed one bureau's score. The lender checked a different one.
This guide explains exactly which bureau does what, which lenders use which file, why your two scores differ, what happened to illion, and what to do when a listing is dragging one bureau's score down. If you only want the practical bit — grab the free 60-second assessment and we'll pull both bureau files and tell you honestly what's on them. No obligation.
The Australian Credit Bureaus — Side-by-Side
| Feature | Equifax | Experian (now including the former illion file) |
|---|---|---|
| Former name | Veda Advantage | — (absorbed illion, formerly Dun & Bradstreet) |
| Score scale | 0–1,200 | 0–1,000 |
| Australian adult average | ~760 (Very Good band) | ~620 (Good band) |
| Free file URL | equifax.com.au | experian.com.au/consumer/order-credit-report |
| Free file frequency | 1 every 3 months | 1 every 3 months |
| Primary users | Major banks, mortgage brokers | Fintechs, non-banks, BNPL, and lenders that used to check illion (telcos, utilities, car finance) |
You have a separate file at each bureau. Each file holds only the data that bureau was reported. A default that was reported only to illion is now on your Experian report but may not appear on your Equifax file — and a lender who checks Experian will see it. This is why we always assess both bureaus in the free credit file review at ACS.
Equifax Australia — The Major Bank Bureau (0–1,200 Scale)
Equifax (formerly Veda Advantage) is the largest credit bureau in Australia and the one every major Australian bank uses for home loan assessments. If you're applying for a mortgage at CBA, ANZ, NAB or Westpac — Equifax is the file that decides whether your application reaches a human assessor.
Equifax Score Bands
| Score | Band | What Lenders See |
|---|---|---|
| 0–459 | Below Average | Auto-decline at major banks |
| 460–660 | Average | Specialist/non-conforming lenders only |
| 661–734 | Good | Mainstream consideration |
| 735–852 | Very Good | All lenders open, standard rates |
| 853–1,200 | Excellent | Premier customer offers |
Who Reports to Equifax?
- All four major Australian banks (CBA, ANZ, NAB, Westpac)
- Most regional banks (Bendigo, BOQ, Suncorp)
- Most mortgage and home loan lenders
- Major credit card providers
- Larger personal loan providers
Equifax Average Score
The Australian adult average Equifax score is approximately 760 — sitting in the "Very Good" band. If you're under 622 (the cutoff for "Good"), you're carrying something — typically a default, a string of enquiries, high credit card balances, or a very thin file.
📞 Quick reality check on your Equifax file? Call 0480 031 704 for a 60-second yes/no on what's on it. ASIC-licensed (ACL 532003), lawyer-led, no obligation.
Experian Australia — The Fintech & Non-Bank Bureau (0–1,200 Scale)
Experian's Australian coverage is growing fast. Fintechs, non-bank lenders, BNPL providers (Afterpay, Zip, Humm), Macquarie and ING all weight Experian heavily — sometimes as their primary bureau.
Experian Score Bands
| Score | Band | What Lenders See |
|---|---|---|
| 0–299 | Low | Most lenders decline |
| 300–499 | Fair | Limited options, rate-loaded |
| 500–699 | Good | Mainstream consideration |
| 700–799 | Very Good | Strong borrowing position |
| 800–1,200 | Excellent | Best rates and limits |
Who Reports to Experian?
- BNPL providers (Afterpay, Zip, Humm, Klarna)
- Macquarie Bank, ING Direct
- Most fintechs (Wisr, Plenti, MoneyMe, Latitude)
- Many newer credit card issuers
- A growing number of non-bank mortgage lenders
Why Your Experian Score May Be Lower
Experian weights recent enquiries more heavily than Equifax. If you've shopped around for finance in the last 12 months — even if you ultimately took only one loan — your Experian score will typically be 30–80 points lower than your Equifax (on the equivalent thousand-point basis). For practical purposes: if you've been declined by a fintech or BNPL provider, this is the file we need to look at first.
What Happened to Illion? (Now Part of Experian)
illion (formerly Dun & Bradstreet Australia) used to be Australia's third credit bureau, and many telcos, utilities, car finance brokers and debt collectors reported to it. That has changed:
- 30 September 2024: Experian completed its A$820 million acquisition of illion.
- 1 April 2026: illion and Experian began operating as a single Experian credit reporting body (CreditSmart, ARCA).
- Now: Experian says the integration is complete, and you receive one Experian report that includes all the information previously held by illion and Experian. The OAIC lists Equifax and Experian as the credit reporting bodies.
illion's own 0–1,000 score and its bands (Good from 500, Great from 700, Excellent from 800) no longer apply; you now get an Experian score. Lenders' letters may still mention "illion" for a while — that generally refers to the combined Experian report.
Why Former Illion Defaults Still Block Car Loans
A small telco or utility default, even a paid one, stays on your credit report for 5 years from the listing date. If it was originally reported to illion, it's now on your Experian report — and may never have appeared on Equifax. A lender that checks Experian will see it, even though a major bank checking only Equifax never did.
Got a paid telco default blocking finance? This is one of the most commonly removable listings under the Privacy Act 1988 — the Section 21D pre-listing notice is often defective or wasn't received because the customer had moved. Free assessment → Free, no obligation, no impact on your score.
Why Are My Equifax and Experian Scores Different?
Three reasons — and once you understand them, the differences make complete sense.
1. Each Bureau Holds Different Data
Credit providers in Australia choose which bureau they report to. Some report to both. Many report to only one or two. A Telstra account that defaulted in 2023 might have been reported to illion (and so now appear on Experian) but not Equifax. A home loan with CBA appears on Equifax but might not appear on Experian. Your two files are literally different files with different data inside them.
2. Each Bureau Uses a Different Scoring Algorithm
Each bureau's score formula is proprietary. As a general rule:
- Equifax weights repayment history most heavily
- Experian weights recent enquiries most heavily
The same underlying data, fed into two different formulas, produces two different scores.
3. The Scales Are Different Lengths
Both bureaus now score out of 1,200, but their bands differ. A raw score of 700 is "Very Good" on Experian (700–799) and "Good" on Equifax (661–734).
The practical takeaway: don't treat any one bureau as definitive. Before any major finance application, pull both files. Many people have a clean Equifax file and a damaging default on Experian (often one that started on illion) that nobody noticed until a car loan came back declined.
Centrix vs Equifax vs Illion — Are You Looking at the Right Country?
Quick clarification on a common confusion: Centrix is a New Zealand credit bureau, not Australian. If you've Googled "Centrix vs Equifax vs Illion" and landed on this page, you may have been reading content written for the New Zealand market.
Australian credit reporting is governed by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) Part IIIA and the Credit Reporting Code 2014. The two bureaus operating under that framework are Equifax and Experian. Centrix operates under New Zealand law and is not used by Australian lenders.
If your finance application is in Australia, only your Equifax and Experian files matter.
Which Bureau Does My Lender Actually Use?
Lenders don't always disclose which bureau they pull — but the patterns are clear enough to predict most of the time:
| What You're Applying For | Bureau Most Likely Checked |
|---|---|
| Home loan at a big-4 bank (CBA, ANZ, NAB, Westpac) | Equifax (primary), sometimes Experian (secondary) |
| Home loan at a non-bank or fintech | Experian + Equifax |
| Personal loan at a major bank | Equifax + Experian |
| Personal loan at a fintech (Wisr, Plenti, etc.) | Experian |
| Car loan from a dealer | Experian + Equifax |
| Car loan from a finance broker | Experian (now including former illion data) |
| Credit card from a major bank | Equifax |
| BNPL (Afterpay, Zip, Humm) | Experian |
| Phone plan or mobile contract | Experian (formerly illion) |
| Energy or utility account | Experian (formerly illion) |
| Rental application | Varies — often Equifax + Experian |
| Business loan | Both |
The safest assumption: a major application will check at least two bureaus, and any negative listing on either can block approval.
Does Income Affect Either of My Credit Scores?
No. Your income is not part of your credit score at any Australian bureau — not Equifax, not Experian.
What is part of your score (at both):
- Repayment history across all credit accounts
- Credit utilisation (balances vs limits)
- Age and mix of your credit accounts
- Recent credit enquiries
- Defaults, court judgements, and serious credit infringements
What lenders look at separately from your score:
- Income (verified via payslips and tax returns)
- Employment status and stability
- Living expenses and dependents
- Existing financial commitments
A high earner with a default has a low credit score and gets declined for home loans. A modest earner with a clean file has an excellent score and gets approved at standard rates. Income only matters once your credit file passes the initial bureau check.
How to Remove a Listing From One Bureau (or Both)
If you have a listing dragging one of your scores down, the removal process is the same regardless of which bureau holds it: a formal dispute under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) Part IIIA.
The grounds for removal are listing-specific, not bureau-specific:
- Section 21D pre-listing notice was not properly served (wrong address, never received)
- The amount listed differs from the actual amount owed
- The debt was statute-barred when the listing was made
- The account was opened fraudulently (identity theft)
- Procedural breaches in the listing process by the credit provider
If the credit provider reported the listing to multiple bureaus, a successful dispute typically results in removal from all of them — because the credit provider issues the removal instruction, not the bureau. Australian Credit Solutions verifies removal across both bureaus as part of the standard process.
If the listing is on only one bureau (often the case with telco defaults that started on illion and now sit on Experian), removal there is enough — the listing never existed on the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between Equifax and Experian in Australia? The two Australian credit bureaus differ in scale, lender relationships and data sources. Equifax uses a 0–1,200 scale and is used by all major Australian banks for home loans. Experian uses a 0–1,200 scale and is used by fintechs, non-bank lenders and BNPL providers; it now also holds the information previously held by illion, which telcos, utilities and car finance brokers used. You have a separate file at each bureau, and the files hold different data because credit providers choose which bureau(s) they report to.
Why is my Equifax score different from Experian? Your scores differ because each bureau holds different data and uses a different scoring formula. Equifax weights repayment history most heavily; Experian weights recent enquiries. A default reported only to one bureau won't appear on the others. The same Australian can have an "Excellent" Equifax score and a "Low" Experian score at the same time — both are true reflections of what each bureau was reported.
Which credit bureau do Australian banks use? The four major Australian banks (CBA, ANZ, NAB, Westpac) primarily use Equifax for credit decisions. Non-bank and fintech lenders (Macquarie, ING, Wisr, Plenti) more commonly use Experian. BNPL providers (Afterpay, Zip, Humm) use Experian. Telcos and utility companies that used illion now report to and check Experian, which absorbed illion. Many major applications check both bureaus.
What's the highest score on Equifax and Experian? The maximum score is 1,200 on both Equifax and Experian. These ceilings are rare in practice — they require a long credit history, no enquiries in years, low utilisation, and no negative listings of any kind.
What's a good credit score on both Australian bureaus? A "Good" score is 661+ on Equifax (0–1,200) and 500+ on Experian (0–1,200). For a mainstream home loan at a major Australian bank, you generally want Equifax 700+ combined with a clean file — no active defaults or court judgements on any bureau.
Does income affect my credit score on Equifax or Experian? No. Income is not part of your credit score at any Australian bureau. Lenders assess income separately when you apply for credit. Your score reflects your repayment history, credit utilisation, account age and mix, recent enquiries, and any defaults or judgements — but not how much you earn.
Can a default appear on one bureau but not the others? Yes — and this is one of the most common credit file issues in Australia. Credit providers choose which bureau(s) they report to. Many telcos and utilities reported only to illion, and those listings are now on Experian. Many fintechs report only to Experian. A default can sit on one bureau's file for years while your other score looks healthy. This is why checking both bureaus is essential before any major finance application.
How do I get my Equifax and Experian reports for free? Under the Privacy Act 1988, every Australian is entitled to a free credit report once every 3 months from each bureau, plus a second free report within 90 days of being declined for credit. Equifax: equifax.com.au. Experian: experian.com.au/consumer/order-credit-report (this report includes the information previously held by illion, and your Experian credit score). You can also get a free report from a bureau after a correction is made to your file.
Can a default be removed from one bureau but stay on another? In practice, yes — but it's rare when handled properly. A successful Privacy Act 1988 dispute is lodged with the credit provider, who then issues a removal instruction to whichever bureau(s) hold the listing. If the credit provider reported the default to both bureaus, the removal should apply to both. Australian Credit Solutions verifies removal at every bureau that held the listing as part of the standard process — if any bureau still shows the listing 14 days after the credit provider confirms removal, we follow up directly.
Is Centrix a credit bureau in Australia? No. Centrix is a New Zealand credit bureau. It operates under New Zealand credit reporting law. Australian credit reporting is governed by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and uses two bureaus: Equifax and Experian. If you're applying for finance in Australia, only your Equifax and Experian files matter — your Centrix file (if you have one) is irrelevant to Australian lenders.
How long do listings stay on my Equifax and Experian files? The same retention periods apply at both bureaus under the Credit Reporting Code: Defaults — 5 years. Court judgements — 5 years. Credit enquiries — 5 years. Repayment history information — 2 years. Serious credit infringements (clearouts) — 7 years. Bankruptcy — 5 years from the order date or 2 years from discharge (whichever is longer). The clock starts from the date the listing was made, not the date the underlying debt was paid.
Which bureau is most important to monitor in Australia? Both matter, but the priority depends on your situation. If you're applying for a home loan: Equifax is the priority. If you've ever had telco or utility trouble, are a BNPL user or apply through fintechs: Experian is the priority (it now holds the former illion data). For most Australians, the safest approach is to check both regularly: Equifax's and Experian's own free credit reports, each available every 3 months.
Know Both Files — Then Fix What's Holding You Back
If you've read this far you probably suspect that one of your files is the problem. You might already know which one — or you might be looking at a healthy Equifax score without knowing about a damaging listing on your Experian report.
The Australian Credit Solutions free assessment is the most thorough first step you can take. We pull your file across both bureaus, identify every negative listing on any of them, and tell you honestly which can be challenged under the Privacy Act 1988 and which can't. No commitment. No obligation. Then you decide.
Why thousands of Australians have used ACS
- ASIC Licensed — Australian Credit Licence ACL 532003. Verify at connectonline.asic.gov.au.
- Lawyer-led — Principal Solicitor Elisa Rothschild BA/LLB (Monash University), operating through Fogarty Oliver and Rothschild law firm.
- 5.0 out of 5 from 987+ verified reviews on ProductReview.com.au.
- Industry Excellence Award winner 2022, 2023, 2024 & 2026.
- No Win No Fee — flexible payment plans available.
Get My Free Credit Assessment → 📞 Call 0480 031 704 — 60-second yes/no on whether your listing can be challenged.
Australian Credit Solutions Pty Ltd holds Australian Credit Licence ACL 532003. Credit repair services are subject to individual assessment. Results may vary. This article provides general information only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Always seek professional advice before making financial decisions.
Sources: Experian plc, "Experian completes A$820m acquisition of illion" (1 October 2024); CreditSmart (ARCA), "Changes to the Experian and illion credit reporting bodies"; Experian Australia, "Order your free credit report"; OAIC, "Access your credit report".
Related reading: Credit Score Ranges Australia → | What Is a Credit Default? → | Default Removal Services → | Meet Elisa Rothschild →
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